Thursday, November 26, 2009
Holidays
Happy Skanksgiving everybody! Unless you don't celebrate, and in that case, go to Canada turkey hugger.
Friday, November 13, 2009
MFA show: Untitled, Unorganized, Uninspired
Well here I am, in the media lab, writing about the MFA show. The displays ranged from the titillating, to the downright depressing. One of the interesting - if not the only interesting - details of this show that I examined was the difference between a BFA show, an MFA show, and a world renowned gallery in the heart of the art district that seemed to be missing. The work in this MFA show was no better or worse than any BFA show which calls into question the need for a separate degree in the first place. That isn't to say that the work was bad - although that will be said by the end of this post - it was just unsubstantial.
Kristin Melkin's "Untitled" (very clever, Kris) was one of the first pieces I viewed. It can be described just as the tag next to it listed the materials used: barn wood, pastel. That's pretty much it. Kristin has colored the various holes and knots of the barn wood with bright pastel, and then hung the wood up. How much is Kristin paying for this degree? If this show was to partly inspire me to continue my art education, I should have skipped Kristin.
Catherine Haggarty's "Sign" was an interesting piece in the same way having your face slapped by a homeless man is interesting - at the end, you just have to say "why?" 13 inches by 18 inches of ... nothing. Well, basically nothing. An abstract shape in dull orange is slickly produced on top of what could be graph paper almost entirely concealed by white. My problem is that it looks messy; you can see the graph paper underneath, you can see the lines Catherine drew out to plan her final shape, and I don't want to see that. Perhaps it was intentional, and I understand that, but that doesn't mean it belongs. She has other works of the same underwhelming quality, all of which are of equal dimension and complexity.
Gabbe Grodin's "Untitled" (sorry Gabbe, Kristin had dibs on that) was actually pretty good. It's small (only 8"x10") but it packs a punch. Gabbe uses short, dollops of paint to create scenes that not only take you to a destination but create the illusion of movement in them. His use of color is expertly applied and no part of his small paintings seem over or under worked.
Megan, I hate to do this to you, and I'm risking a grade by doing so, but I have to give you low marks for your "Three Gray Photographs" and "Six Piles of Dirt." Let it be known - and I've said this before - that I traditionally dislike photography. I look at photography as a piece of technology that was made to make our lives easier, and photographers in the art world have taken it upon themselves to make it more difficult because somewhere in their minds, whether or not they are aware of it, they realize that it is not inherently difficult nor does it take anything other than a grasping hand and some film to take a good picture. Photographers have the luxury of snapping as many shots as they like (in the case of landscapes and still life) until they come to a worthy composition. They can then turn these to black and white, boost contrast, all within the touch of a button. If they do NOT use the touch of a button approach and laboriously change their photographs with outdated methods then they deserve no extra praise - it is like me painting and stopping every stroke or so to completely clean off my brushes. Sure it took me longer, required more work, but it was a decision I made to add some sort of flavor to my work for no reason. WIth your photographs, Megan, I found no flavor. These shots were not timed perfectly; how could they be? They are of but mounds of dirt. They are devoid of color for a reason I'm sure is apparent to you but is lost on me and all I see is another fad. But I do give you credit for actually naming your work, which is too hard for some of your peers.
I'll make this last portion quick. Liv Aanrud took up an extraordinary amount of space for a few small squares of poorly applied paint. Summer Baldwins "Moose Head" challenges my notion that a messy structure cannot be a good one. Guerra's (too good for a full name?) "Spaghetti" was nothing more than a monument to how easy it must be to create formless sculptures and drizzle them with paint. I liked Anna Bushman's work, I did, and her stop motion video was fun and interesting if not completely pointless.
I was told by a classmate who shall rename nameless for her sake that I don't find joy in much (I think that was the wording). Truth is, she's right. But it is simply because I have not seen a lot to be happy about. I said in my thesis and I will reiterate now - the minute we begin to be complacent and accepting of all that the art scene churns out is the minute good art dies. Without me (and others of course) to be a giant, joyless d-bag then the term "critic" would start to be a synonym for sycophant.
Kristin Melkin's "Untitled" (very clever, Kris) was one of the first pieces I viewed. It can be described just as the tag next to it listed the materials used: barn wood, pastel. That's pretty much it. Kristin has colored the various holes and knots of the barn wood with bright pastel, and then hung the wood up. How much is Kristin paying for this degree? If this show was to partly inspire me to continue my art education, I should have skipped Kristin.
Catherine Haggarty's "Sign" was an interesting piece in the same way having your face slapped by a homeless man is interesting - at the end, you just have to say "why?" 13 inches by 18 inches of ... nothing. Well, basically nothing. An abstract shape in dull orange is slickly produced on top of what could be graph paper almost entirely concealed by white. My problem is that it looks messy; you can see the graph paper underneath, you can see the lines Catherine drew out to plan her final shape, and I don't want to see that. Perhaps it was intentional, and I understand that, but that doesn't mean it belongs. She has other works of the same underwhelming quality, all of which are of equal dimension and complexity.
Gabbe Grodin's "Untitled" (sorry Gabbe, Kristin had dibs on that) was actually pretty good. It's small (only 8"x10") but it packs a punch. Gabbe uses short, dollops of paint to create scenes that not only take you to a destination but create the illusion of movement in them. His use of color is expertly applied and no part of his small paintings seem over or under worked.
Megan, I hate to do this to you, and I'm risking a grade by doing so, but I have to give you low marks for your "Three Gray Photographs" and "Six Piles of Dirt." Let it be known - and I've said this before - that I traditionally dislike photography. I look at photography as a piece of technology that was made to make our lives easier, and photographers in the art world have taken it upon themselves to make it more difficult because somewhere in their minds, whether or not they are aware of it, they realize that it is not inherently difficult nor does it take anything other than a grasping hand and some film to take a good picture. Photographers have the luxury of snapping as many shots as they like (in the case of landscapes and still life) until they come to a worthy composition. They can then turn these to black and white, boost contrast, all within the touch of a button. If they do NOT use the touch of a button approach and laboriously change their photographs with outdated methods then they deserve no extra praise - it is like me painting and stopping every stroke or so to completely clean off my brushes. Sure it took me longer, required more work, but it was a decision I made to add some sort of flavor to my work for no reason. WIth your photographs, Megan, I found no flavor. These shots were not timed perfectly; how could they be? They are of but mounds of dirt. They are devoid of color for a reason I'm sure is apparent to you but is lost on me and all I see is another fad. But I do give you credit for actually naming your work, which is too hard for some of your peers.
I'll make this last portion quick. Liv Aanrud took up an extraordinary amount of space for a few small squares of poorly applied paint. Summer Baldwins "Moose Head" challenges my notion that a messy structure cannot be a good one. Guerra's (too good for a full name?) "Spaghetti" was nothing more than a monument to how easy it must be to create formless sculptures and drizzle them with paint. I liked Anna Bushman's work, I did, and her stop motion video was fun and interesting if not completely pointless.
I was told by a classmate who shall rename nameless for her sake that I don't find joy in much (I think that was the wording). Truth is, she's right. But it is simply because I have not seen a lot to be happy about. I said in my thesis and I will reiterate now - the minute we begin to be complacent and accepting of all that the art scene churns out is the minute good art dies. Without me (and others of course) to be a giant, joyless d-bag then the term "critic" would start to be a synonym for sycophant.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Hurf Durf
Whoops, forgot we aren't doing the alternating go-to-class/don't-go-to-class thing anymore. That's my bad, y'all. I missed you guys too, don't worry.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Russian Art - More than just what Sarah Palin sees from her house
I don't like photography as an art. Like I said in my revised artist statement, I believe photography is a tool. I understand fully that a photographer "sets up" his shots (not even all the time, though) and does crazy stuff to, like, the focus and other mechanisms. HOWEVER, at the end of the day if all you're doing is pressing a button that captures light and burns it onto film (or worse, an SP card) then what you are doing is capturing the "art" in front of you and packaging it as your own. With that said (and I could go on) I decided to go take a peak at the Zimmerli's "Four Perspectives Through the Lens: Soviet Art Photography in the 1970s-80s."
I didn't find any photo's. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough but the only photographs I saw only strengthened my opposition towards the craft. These photos were snapshots of Russia and its people, and while that is always a good thing I felt like I was looking at a history book instead of a gallery. My bias aside, they were nice pictures I guess?
Unsatisfied, I strolled through the rest of the exhibition. I found some questionable pieces, as always, but I was pleasantly surprised with the paintings. I'm a plebeian, I know, but I can't help it if I don't hate a painting that actually looks good. Miervaldis Polis' "Fingers" is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the part of the show that really resonated with me. In this painting, Miervaldis has painstakingly rendered photo realistic fingers on an impressively sized canvas with oil paints. Not only was the painting itself so accurate and awe inspiring, but it reached beyond the application of the paint and really told a story of the old, weathered fingers. I guess that dude was old or something. You had to bury your nose in the painting to get your eyes close enough to be able to tell if the wrinkles were created by man or nature. Where are the Miervaldis' of Mason Gross? Is anyone even trying anymore? The graphic arts department is so overfilled they are making each student over 150 lbs go on a diet so that more room can be made for the incoming class, and why exactly? Those students know that field is a money maker. It's hard to have integrity when you're trying to pay the bills. How many Miervaldis' are we trading for another graphic artist that is going to take his or her abilities and apply them to skateboards, web layouts, and advertisements for erection pills? I think I can stand a little communism if we can break the mold if not for one semester. Better red than dead.
I didn't find any photo's. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough but the only photographs I saw only strengthened my opposition towards the craft. These photos were snapshots of Russia and its people, and while that is always a good thing I felt like I was looking at a history book instead of a gallery. My bias aside, they were nice pictures I guess?
Unsatisfied, I strolled through the rest of the exhibition. I found some questionable pieces, as always, but I was pleasantly surprised with the paintings. I'm a plebeian, I know, but I can't help it if I don't hate a painting that actually looks good. Miervaldis Polis' "Fingers" is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the part of the show that really resonated with me. In this painting, Miervaldis has painstakingly rendered photo realistic fingers on an impressively sized canvas with oil paints. Not only was the painting itself so accurate and awe inspiring, but it reached beyond the application of the paint and really told a story of the old, weathered fingers. I guess that dude was old or something. You had to bury your nose in the painting to get your eyes close enough to be able to tell if the wrinkles were created by man or nature. Where are the Miervaldis' of Mason Gross? Is anyone even trying anymore? The graphic arts department is so overfilled they are making each student over 150 lbs go on a diet so that more room can be made for the incoming class, and why exactly? Those students know that field is a money maker. It's hard to have integrity when you're trying to pay the bills. How many Miervaldis' are we trading for another graphic artist that is going to take his or her abilities and apply them to skateboards, web layouts, and advertisements for erection pills? I think I can stand a little communism if we can break the mold if not for one semester. Better red than dead.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
(new) Artist Statement
There is no art, only artists. Much like there is no God, only religion. Much like there is no good, or bad, right, or wrong. Those concepts are defined not by natural law but by region, culture, geography. What do artists make, if not art? Friends, enemies, pretty pictures. Painting is a hobby, photography is a tool, and graphic design is a job. I am an atheist. I can not destroy God. I am an artist. I can not make art.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Mother F-ing Artist
Here are some MFA programs that I would consider if I wanted to be in debt for the rest of my life with little to show for it:
SVA.
I was looking at their illustration program and if their reputation means anything then it should be a good one. I don't think their catalog does them any favors, however; the "indie" feel to the catalog seems contrived and the student art work they showcase isn't anything spectacular. It looks like you get a nice drawing cubicle, though - something less cold and uninviting than the MGSA painting studio that is nothing more than empty floor space and shower curtains.
Maine College of Art.
First on their list of MFA students in the 2010 class was Ryan Conrad and a link to his website "Faggotz.org." Sign me up.
NYU Steinhardt.
These bastards got a plethora of Masters degrees. I was glancing at an MA in art education (yeah, I want to teach. Imagine me spreading my pessimism to the impressionable youth. It makes me smile) but I wasn't sure if you wanted to hear about MA's so I scrolled down to an MFA in studio arts. The selection process seems tight and may actually be a little too strict for me but that bodes very well for actually serious artists who want to beef up their degree.
Art Institute of Boston.
First image I can see on their website: some kid sitting indian style on a train with a Macbook Pro on his lap, his smile sheepishly appearing from beneath his shag haircut. Oh Art Institute of Boston, you're so hip. They have a pretty standard MFA program; 2 years, 4 semesters, hard work, blah blah blah. But they also have 15 credits in 5, 10 day residences. The facilities seem pretty clean and cozy. It actually looks like a place I wouldn't mind being stuck in for 10 hours a day. The walls aren't all white washed, the floors aren't splattered with gesso and plaster, and the website doesn't try to conform to this politically correct trend by putting people of every race in every picture with their arms around each other laughing at some joke you know that black guy said cause black guys are so funny.
One thing I learned with this assignment is that the majority of websites for art Universities are absolutely horrendous. They are little more than a single page that offers no information you can look into and a form to fill out to receive information via snail mail (possibly retroactively for the rest of your life). It's aggravating when you can click on a drop down menu that displays what the school offers but cannot learn about the departments because those programs are just text, and not links to a more comprehensive listing. These schools are shooting themselves in the foot by making a students task of compiling future prospective schools into a fire gauntlet that will take them weeks to complete, all the while having to give out pages of his or her personal information just to find out if the school he or she is looking at has the programs he or she needs. Also, upon further review, MFA's seem like suuuuch bullshit.
SVA.
I was looking at their illustration program and if their reputation means anything then it should be a good one. I don't think their catalog does them any favors, however; the "indie" feel to the catalog seems contrived and the student art work they showcase isn't anything spectacular. It looks like you get a nice drawing cubicle, though - something less cold and uninviting than the MGSA painting studio that is nothing more than empty floor space and shower curtains.
Maine College of Art.
First on their list of MFA students in the 2010 class was Ryan Conrad and a link to his website "Faggotz.org." Sign me up.
NYU Steinhardt.
These bastards got a plethora of Masters degrees. I was glancing at an MA in art education (yeah, I want to teach. Imagine me spreading my pessimism to the impressionable youth. It makes me smile) but I wasn't sure if you wanted to hear about MA's so I scrolled down to an MFA in studio arts. The selection process seems tight and may actually be a little too strict for me but that bodes very well for actually serious artists who want to beef up their degree.
Art Institute of Boston.
First image I can see on their website: some kid sitting indian style on a train with a Macbook Pro on his lap, his smile sheepishly appearing from beneath his shag haircut. Oh Art Institute of Boston, you're so hip. They have a pretty standard MFA program; 2 years, 4 semesters, hard work, blah blah blah. But they also have 15 credits in 5, 10 day residences. The facilities seem pretty clean and cozy. It actually looks like a place I wouldn't mind being stuck in for 10 hours a day. The walls aren't all white washed, the floors aren't splattered with gesso and plaster, and the website doesn't try to conform to this politically correct trend by putting people of every race in every picture with their arms around each other laughing at some joke you know that black guy said cause black guys are so funny.
One thing I learned with this assignment is that the majority of websites for art Universities are absolutely horrendous. They are little more than a single page that offers no information you can look into and a form to fill out to receive information via snail mail (possibly retroactively for the rest of your life). It's aggravating when you can click on a drop down menu that displays what the school offers but cannot learn about the departments because those programs are just text, and not links to a more comprehensive listing. These schools are shooting themselves in the foot by making a students task of compiling future prospective schools into a fire gauntlet that will take them weeks to complete, all the while having to give out pages of his or her personal information just to find out if the school he or she is looking at has the programs he or she needs. Also, upon further review, MFA's seem like suuuuch bullshit.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Keeping it Real.
So I guess from word of Friday's class that all y'all got to hear how my blog is the best blog. Well it comes as no surprise. Don't fret - here are some helpful hints to keep your blog unlame:
1. The only wrong opinion is the one you pussy foot around as to not offend anyone.
2. Hate is natural. In fact, I prefer it to love.
3. You may have noticed that Blogger autosaves your posts as you are writing them. This is a great tool. So don't worry about getting your thoughts onto your site as quick as possible, as to not tempt fate that would have your computer crash or internet suffer a cataclysmic fall. Sit back, take a deep breath, and try to express your intense dislike for everything with a calm, nonchalant pace so you have ample time to think back to previous memories of disappointment and can use them for reference.
4. Dont show up for class. I dont know, it's working for me.
Well there you have it, four life saving tips from a guy who can't seem to wake up before noon.
1. The only wrong opinion is the one you pussy foot around as to not offend anyone.
2. Hate is natural. In fact, I prefer it to love.
3. You may have noticed that Blogger autosaves your posts as you are writing them. This is a great tool. So don't worry about getting your thoughts onto your site as quick as possible, as to not tempt fate that would have your computer crash or internet suffer a cataclysmic fall. Sit back, take a deep breath, and try to express your intense dislike for everything with a calm, nonchalant pace so you have ample time to think back to previous memories of disappointment and can use them for reference.
4. Dont show up for class. I dont know, it's working for me.
Well there you have it, four life saving tips from a guy who can't seem to wake up before noon.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Short and Sour
Justin Hall
Artist Statement
Real art is in the viewer. I can create a masterpiece with the expressions of my audience faster than paint, and it is in that urgency that I find art. Without me, art never ceases to exist. But without us, how can it thrive?
Artist Statement
Real art is in the viewer. I can create a masterpiece with the expressions of my audience faster than paint, and it is in that urgency that I find art. Without me, art never ceases to exist. But without us, how can it thrive?
Rezoomeh
Justin Hall
(732) 233 – 3053
926 Curtis ave. Wall, NJ 07719
Born in Plano, Texas 1987. Works in central/south Jersey.
Education
Mason Gross School of the Arts senior
Professional Experience
Tshirt airbrush artist, Urban Outfitters, Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ
Freelance Character Illustrator, Theory Y Algebra
Caricature artist
- Creation Station, Seaside Heights Boardwalk, NJ
- Spitting Image, freelance
*Related Experience
Submissions to
- The Stall – Brookdale Community College newspaper
- The Medium – Rutgers University newspaper
- The Rutgers Review - Rutgers University newspaper
Awards
1st place, Network 1 Financial and Alliance Capital Bernstein College Bound Fund art competition
Award of Excellence in Drawing, Brookdale Community College
Publications
*see: Related Experience
Technical Abilities
Paintshop Pro, Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Protools, After Effects, Flash, the internet
Reverences
Mommy
(732) 859 – 2512
Daddy
(732) 245 – 8947
Tassia Schreiner
(610) 504 - 2806
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Zimmerli
I went to the Zimmerli Art Museum earlier today because, let's be honest, it was the closest option available for this assignment. I actually haven't seen any shows there except for when Ross Lippencott's band "The N Result" (no idea what "N" stands for) played a monster of a set including Beatles covers complete with freestyle rap from their resident thug. My expectations for any work being showed in the same building I sit and play Pokemon on my laptop while my Islamic Art professor laboriously goes over the history of Islam while at the same time telling us none of it will be on any of our tests...I lost my train of thought. Point is, I wasn't expecting to be wowed.
The exhibit I looked at was "Trailblazers of the 21st Century," and it certainly met my bottom-rung expectations. Looking at the wall of pitiful scrap being presented in frames worth double what any of these artists deserved to take away from what I am assuming is about a lunch break's worth of actual thought and execution I can certainly see that the curator of this exhibition was blazing something - and not a trail, if you catch my meaning. Actually, Daniel Zeller's "Elusive Quarry" was somewhat inviting but I can't imagine any second year illustration major who knows his or her way around pen and ink couldn't pull off the same effect if they would only ignore the demands of school, responsibility, and life. Gary Simmons' "Again and Again" was even more disappointing. "Again and Again" consists, in it's entirety, of the phrase "again and again" both clear and smudged out, and a simple rubric for creating silkscreen prints in numerical order on the pure white side of the piece that cleaved the page in half. I read the short biography the museum supplied and it mentioned some made up bologna about Gary's work containing strong relations with racial tension and stereoty...I just stopped reading because my eyes started to vomit blood. Figuratively. Gary's piece....the only piece that was there to represent him....was what they hand out on the first day of Silkscreening 101, along with a syllabus and a reminder that plagiarism is still frowned upon as though we all spontaneously forgot. As I left the exhibit I remarked to the receptionist that they would benefit from a small boost in security seeing as how I am feeling an urge to get the tire iron in my trunk and returning to use it the only way I know how: destroying bullshit.
I hate being right. I'm not often right, but my pessimism is my spidey-sense and I will follow it wherever it goes. Unfortunately, lately, it's been bringing me to galleries.
The exhibit I looked at was "Trailblazers of the 21st Century," and it certainly met my bottom-rung expectations. Looking at the wall of pitiful scrap being presented in frames worth double what any of these artists deserved to take away from what I am assuming is about a lunch break's worth of actual thought and execution I can certainly see that the curator of this exhibition was blazing something - and not a trail, if you catch my meaning. Actually, Daniel Zeller's "Elusive Quarry" was somewhat inviting but I can't imagine any second year illustration major who knows his or her way around pen and ink couldn't pull off the same effect if they would only ignore the demands of school, responsibility, and life. Gary Simmons' "Again and Again" was even more disappointing. "Again and Again" consists, in it's entirety, of the phrase "again and again" both clear and smudged out, and a simple rubric for creating silkscreen prints in numerical order on the pure white side of the piece that cleaved the page in half. I read the short biography the museum supplied and it mentioned some made up bologna about Gary's work containing strong relations with racial tension and stereoty...I just stopped reading because my eyes started to vomit blood. Figuratively. Gary's piece....the only piece that was there to represent him....was what they hand out on the first day of Silkscreening 101, along with a syllabus and a reminder that plagiarism is still frowned upon as though we all spontaneously forgot. As I left the exhibit I remarked to the receptionist that they would benefit from a small boost in security seeing as how I am feeling an urge to get the tire iron in my trunk and returning to use it the only way I know how: destroying bullshit.
I hate being right. I'm not often right, but my pessimism is my spidey-sense and I will follow it wherever it goes. Unfortunately, lately, it's been bringing me to galleries.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Chelsea Galleries - The Lion, the Witch, and the Headaches
We started with Barthelemy Toguo at the Robert Miller Gallery. It was easily the least impressed I have ever been in my life. One room was sealed off from the others by a thin, hanging veil. Inside the space, the floor was completely covered in cardboard boxes which have been duct taped together. I wasn’t quite sure what the point of this invention was, but seeing as how it failed to correlate to his work I assumed the gallery owners did not want the pristine floors beneath Bart’s paintings to get soiled when viewers (such as myself) eventually become so under whelmed they begin to defecate in their pants. Stacked in one corner were filled laundry bags. Portraits of poorly rendered nuns and priests thinking of hard core sex were hung as if anyone could be proud of completing such a time wasting endeavor.
Next up was Enoc Perez at the Mitchell, Innes & Nash gallery. I actually wasn’t too depressed to arrive at this space. Thick, robust paintings of buildings and landscapes hung triumphantly as if to give a big, writhing middle finger to the sloppy and alienating works that have filled the room before and will probably fill the room after. The application of paint Enoc uses seems almost contradictory of the final result. When you look close, you cannot imagine a person can get such a clear image out of the multitude of colors scraped and cut into the dry surface of the canvas (which will often show through). His use of color was enchanting, and although they are showing landmarks through the colorful lens of a kaleidoscope, I feel like I can fall into their world if I stand too close.
Lastly was Juergen Teller of the Lehmann Maupin Gallery. At first I was confused at the first painting I saw, but optimistic. Could Juergen be an actual, talented painter? Then I realized the hanging frame in front of me contained a reproduction of an old renaissance painting. Damn it, I thought. My annoyance grew when I saw that the majority of his work was two naked women photographed at the Met. I saw no value of any of it, and I still don’t give it any credit as works of art.
Next up was Enoc Perez at the Mitchell, Innes & Nash gallery. I actually wasn’t too depressed to arrive at this space. Thick, robust paintings of buildings and landscapes hung triumphantly as if to give a big, writhing middle finger to the sloppy and alienating works that have filled the room before and will probably fill the room after. The application of paint Enoc uses seems almost contradictory of the final result. When you look close, you cannot imagine a person can get such a clear image out of the multitude of colors scraped and cut into the dry surface of the canvas (which will often show through). His use of color was enchanting, and although they are showing landmarks through the colorful lens of a kaleidoscope, I feel like I can fall into their world if I stand too close.
Lastly was Juergen Teller of the Lehmann Maupin Gallery. At first I was confused at the first painting I saw, but optimistic. Could Juergen be an actual, talented painter? Then I realized the hanging frame in front of me contained a reproduction of an old renaissance painting. Damn it, I thought. My annoyance grew when I saw that the majority of his work was two naked women photographed at the Met. I saw no value of any of it, and I still don’t give it any credit as works of art.
Horses, paint, and the meaning of life
I had the opportunity to sit down with Ms. Scott to discuss her art work. Here are some highlights.
Justin : state your name for the record
Kerry: Kerry Marie Scott
Justin : um, now im looking at some of your work here, im seeing a common denominator....let me put this out there, uh, equines. am i at all close?
Kerry : uh huh. i love horses and i always have since i was a little girl. actually um my first pony ride is what sparked both obsessions. like i started horseback riding and when i got back home from the party or whatever the pony ride was at i drew little stick horses.
Justin: did you ever get a hard time about always going back to the same content?
Kerry: yeah. i didnt care.
Justin: once you get outside of the classroom setting its valued to have a calling card, a trade mark, and you know its easy to recognize if you see something like this a couple years down the road i might think "hm i might know that person, i might have done an interview i got an A on in thesis class."
Justin: lets quickly talk about the future. this is your last year, youre a senior, whats next? in your life, the art world, anything?
Kerry: um im not really sure what i want to do after i graduate. i really kind of hate NYC and i didnt plan on becoming a gallery artist when i came in here, but im not sure what else my paintings are good for.
Justin: one last question, and as short as possible, what is art?
Kerry: hm?
Justin: what IS art?
Kerry: (silence) there is your answer.
Justin: silence says it all.
Justin : state your name for the record
Kerry: Kerry Marie Scott
Justin : um, now im looking at some of your work here, im seeing a common denominator....let me put this out there, uh, equines. am i at all close?
Kerry : uh huh. i love horses and i always have since i was a little girl. actually um my first pony ride is what sparked both obsessions. like i started horseback riding and when i got back home from the party or whatever the pony ride was at i drew little stick horses.
Justin: did you ever get a hard time about always going back to the same content?
Kerry: yeah. i didnt care.
Justin: once you get outside of the classroom setting its valued to have a calling card, a trade mark, and you know its easy to recognize if you see something like this a couple years down the road i might think "hm i might know that person, i might have done an interview i got an A on in thesis class."
Justin: lets quickly talk about the future. this is your last year, youre a senior, whats next? in your life, the art world, anything?
Kerry: um im not really sure what i want to do after i graduate. i really kind of hate NYC and i didnt plan on becoming a gallery artist when i came in here, but im not sure what else my paintings are good for.
Justin: one last question, and as short as possible, what is art?
Kerry: hm?
Justin: what IS art?
Kerry: (silence) there is your answer.
Justin: silence says it all.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Never Forget! These colors don't run!
I didn't go to the New Museum today. Not only was there a TORNADO WARNING and a MONSOON, but it is also the anniversary of a terrorist attack many of you might recall from a few years ago. I'm not going to lie and tell you I took the day to be with my family and pray for our soldiers or something like that....The truth is I didn't want to deal with the bullshit of every New Yorker (and a shit ton of non New Yorkers) walking around showing their non-forgetfulness in my face and making a trip up there troublesome. Plus the MONSOON. Shit.
I don't know when I'm going to go to the museum. Since I have classes all week and if I don't have my ticket stub for Friday then I might as well not show up, it might serve to go to NY that day and hit up the New Museum and whatever gallery we need for two weeks from now. God I hate galleries. Why can't they ever have a bar in there or something. I'd be a lot more willing to drag myself to NY every week if I was gonna get sloshed while I was taking in some unremarkable artwork.
I don't know when I'm going to go to the museum. Since I have classes all week and if I don't have my ticket stub for Friday then I might as well not show up, it might serve to go to NY that day and hit up the New Museum and whatever gallery we need for two weeks from now. God I hate galleries. Why can't they ever have a bar in there or something. I'd be a lot more willing to drag myself to NY every week if I was gonna get sloshed while I was taking in some unremarkable artwork.
A Bucket of Blood: A Reaction
I didn't like where it was going for the first 10-15 minutes, but I kind of fell in love with the absurd characters and the story of the bus boy. I took this film as something not really about an artist hitting a wall in his creativity, but rather a loving jab at the art world -- and I love anything that makes fun of the art world. I hate the art world. I KNOW people like that bearded poet guy (except not as badass). I KNOW people like those two beatniks (except less genuine and funny). I find it refreshing that you see a smart but whacky movie that doesn't SERVE the characters it is portraying. The poet isn't portrayed as a classic romantic with important things to say; he is really shown as way too into himself and the center of bizarre affection. The reaction of the community to the bus boys gruesome sculptures did not only drive the plot but also, in my eyes, called attention to some of the ridiculous praise that rather extraordinary work gets.
Alex Bag: A Reaction
I am going to be writing this as I watch it, so it is not a reaction on the entirety on the film (at least it won't be until the end).
First impression: Wow. This is going to be an hour long? Ugh.
4s - Is this a dude in drag?
53s - Is this tongue in cheek? It seems way too satirical to be for real.
1m 21s - Ok when the red head chick cuts out and we see, what I imagine is, Alex in a different costume, I let my eyes wander down to the video's description. So I guess this isn't for real. Thank God.
1m 53s - "Call me" girl is hot. Alex should go blond. Now that I know whats up, I commend the acting. Unfortunately the quality of video and sound is not as great. Wait let me see when this was created....Yeah I bet this was the shit in '95. So it's really no ones fault then that there is so much room tone and ambient noise. It doesn't detract from the video it just makes me use up brain function to contemplate why she couldn't have gotten a shotgun mic or film somewhere that is not next to a busy NY street, like I'm guessing the room she is shooting in at this point is located.
2m 31s - I lol'd
3m 0s - I might have to turn the volume down I don't want my parents thinking I'm watching some kind of fetish porn .
4m 17s - Back to red head valley girl. I was enjoying Call Me girl (maybe too much) so I don't really want to go back to valley head. I think it is partly because Alex plays the part so well. I hate her.
5m 27s - Oh God, what is this
6, 4s - I'm following the work of a young kid on Youtube who acts out soap operas with his pokemon toys on camera. It's hilarious how inappropriate his dialogue becomes and there seems to be a perverse, homosexual undertone (not perverse because it's homosexual, it's just the way it comes up. IE: raping Pikachu) that makes it an interesting collection. It's odd how this kid is, basically, being laughed at on the internet, and Alex Bag is video taping a Stretch Armstrong interact with a mannequin and having her work not only shown to me and demanding my critique but a REQUIRED one at that seeing as how it is a college level class and this is homework.
8m 2s - I don't like this part. It's dumb.
11m 40s - Start of a new character! Good cause valley head is getting boring.
12m 0s - Oh god, this is gonna be slow
13m 0s - I mean, I GET it. It's a take on the pompous artist who makes ridiculous pieces...and I admire that, 'cause those pompous artists piss me off and deserve to be parodied...However, this is still really boring.
17m 20s - Ok at this point (valley head's 4th semester) I'm curious as to what this film is going to offer for the next half hour. I've said it once, I'll say it again: Call Me girl is great. But the rest of this really has me squirming in my chair waiting for the end.
18m 39s - English Punk Girl (EPG for short) is fun. And it made me change my mind about one fing: Alex should go with green hair, not blond.
21m 37s - Hehe, Valley Girl look how you've grown! Well at least she is keeping it fresh.
22m 05s - Oh God she looks like my ex
25m 32s - Where's the venom, Bag? Spit some acid at the art world. It seems like Valley Head is all grown up in the way that everyone wants us to be. I don't want to see this.
26m 26s - Hey, Bjork used to be cute. She kind of looks like Demi Lovato (don't ask how I am aware of this persons existence, I wish I wasn't).
28m 20s - Ok why is Bjork teaching us about how tv's work? I really thought when she said she wanted to see what was inside, she was gonna smash that shit.
28m 50s - Ooooh, ok I see. Bjork is a tinfoil hat conspiracy theorist and is warning us about the dangers of tv consumption.
31m 25s - Attention all male sculptors: The bigger your welded shit tower of a sculpture, the smaller your dick. I'm sorry, it's true.
36m 35s - I like how Hello Kitty is just naming random products after 5 or so minutes and they are all products I have or can see Hello Kitty being on. Totally.
40 m 0s - "Artists are boring." Tell me about it.
40m 50s - "The job market is so fucked." Tell me about it.
45m 19s - It feels like this segment with the kid trying to convince the class clown to stop vying for everyone's attention is going to end with them making out (impossible since they are the same actress). I also feel like I'm the curly haired nerd trying to rid the world of one more obnoxious attention whore. Is that weird? No homo.
45m 50s - Bag does a really great job with the transition of freshman to senior in both attitude and aesthetic. Like, I'm sure I've SEEN this chick with the baby doll tee and bob haircut and dark lipstick. (Edit: I HAVE and you so know who you are)
46m 42s - I'm worried. I am starting to agree with every pessimistic, sarcastic, and gloomy view that Bag has as this SVA character that we see at the start of each semester. What makes me nervous is not that I'm pessimistic, sarcastic, or gloomy, but that this whole video is a joke. Am I a joke?
56m 58s - Alright, all done. She ends on a weird note - holding up a flower and crying. But you have to take it for what it is. And what it is, is a commentary.
As a general rule I don't like interpretive art films, especially not ones that go over 10 minutes in length. This isn't 100% an exception, but there are a lot of fun characters and dead on ideas that I can agree with. I think Alex Bag should be in every movie.
First impression: Wow. This is going to be an hour long? Ugh.
4s - Is this a dude in drag?
53s - Is this tongue in cheek? It seems way too satirical to be for real.
1m 21s - Ok when the red head chick cuts out and we see, what I imagine is, Alex in a different costume, I let my eyes wander down to the video's description. So I guess this isn't for real. Thank God.
1m 53s - "Call me" girl is hot. Alex should go blond. Now that I know whats up, I commend the acting. Unfortunately the quality of video and sound is not as great. Wait let me see when this was created....Yeah I bet this was the shit in '95. So it's really no ones fault then that there is so much room tone and ambient noise. It doesn't detract from the video it just makes me use up brain function to contemplate why she couldn't have gotten a shotgun mic or film somewhere that is not next to a busy NY street, like I'm guessing the room she is shooting in at this point is located.
2m 31s - I lol'd
3m 0s - I might have to turn the volume down I don't want my parents thinking I'm watching some kind of fetish porn .
4m 17s - Back to red head valley girl. I was enjoying Call Me girl (maybe too much) so I don't really want to go back to valley head. I think it is partly because Alex plays the part so well. I hate her.
5m 27s - Oh God, what is this
6, 4s - I'm following the work of a young kid on Youtube who acts out soap operas with his pokemon toys on camera. It's hilarious how inappropriate his dialogue becomes and there seems to be a perverse, homosexual undertone (not perverse because it's homosexual, it's just the way it comes up. IE: raping Pikachu) that makes it an interesting collection. It's odd how this kid is, basically, being laughed at on the internet, and Alex Bag is video taping a Stretch Armstrong interact with a mannequin and having her work not only shown to me and demanding my critique but a REQUIRED one at that seeing as how it is a college level class and this is homework.
8m 2s - I don't like this part. It's dumb.
11m 40s - Start of a new character! Good cause valley head is getting boring.
12m 0s - Oh god, this is gonna be slow
13m 0s - I mean, I GET it. It's a take on the pompous artist who makes ridiculous pieces...and I admire that, 'cause those pompous artists piss me off and deserve to be parodied...However, this is still really boring.
17m 20s - Ok at this point (valley head's 4th semester) I'm curious as to what this film is going to offer for the next half hour. I've said it once, I'll say it again: Call Me girl is great. But the rest of this really has me squirming in my chair waiting for the end.
18m 39s - English Punk Girl (EPG for short) is fun. And it made me change my mind about one fing: Alex should go with green hair, not blond.
21m 37s - Hehe, Valley Girl look how you've grown! Well at least she is keeping it fresh.
22m 05s - Oh God she looks like my ex
25m 32s - Where's the venom, Bag? Spit some acid at the art world. It seems like Valley Head is all grown up in the way that everyone wants us to be. I don't want to see this.
26m 26s - Hey, Bjork used to be cute. She kind of looks like Demi Lovato (don't ask how I am aware of this persons existence, I wish I wasn't).
28m 20s - Ok why is Bjork teaching us about how tv's work? I really thought when she said she wanted to see what was inside, she was gonna smash that shit.
28m 50s - Ooooh, ok I see. Bjork is a tinfoil hat conspiracy theorist and is warning us about the dangers of tv consumption.
31m 25s - Attention all male sculptors: The bigger your welded shit tower of a sculpture, the smaller your dick. I'm sorry, it's true.
36m 35s - I like how Hello Kitty is just naming random products after 5 or so minutes and they are all products I have or can see Hello Kitty being on. Totally.
40 m 0s - "Artists are boring." Tell me about it.
40m 50s - "The job market is so fucked." Tell me about it.
45m 19s - It feels like this segment with the kid trying to convince the class clown to stop vying for everyone's attention is going to end with them making out (impossible since they are the same actress). I also feel like I'm the curly haired nerd trying to rid the world of one more obnoxious attention whore. Is that weird? No homo.
45m 50s - Bag does a really great job with the transition of freshman to senior in both attitude and aesthetic. Like, I'm sure I've SEEN this chick with the baby doll tee and bob haircut and dark lipstick. (Edit: I HAVE and you so know who you are)
46m 42s - I'm worried. I am starting to agree with every pessimistic, sarcastic, and gloomy view that Bag has as this SVA character that we see at the start of each semester. What makes me nervous is not that I'm pessimistic, sarcastic, or gloomy, but that this whole video is a joke. Am I a joke?
56m 58s - Alright, all done. She ends on a weird note - holding up a flower and crying. But you have to take it for what it is. And what it is, is a commentary.
As a general rule I don't like interpretive art films, especially not ones that go over 10 minutes in length. This isn't 100% an exception, but there are a lot of fun characters and dead on ideas that I can agree with. I think Alex Bag should be in every movie.
Welcome to my blog
I just want to preemptively apologize to anyone I piss off over the course of the semester. But, honestly, you had it coming.
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